I'm Fine
by Angela
Summary: He could fool everyone but her


Title: I'm Fine  
Author: Angela  
Rating:G  
Spoilers: We Killed Yamamoto  
Category: Post Ep., Sam/Donna friendship  
Summary: He could fool everyone but her  
Disclaimer: Not mine. They belong to Aaron Sorkin  
Archive: The Sam Fanfic site? I'd be honored. Anyone else? Just   
ask  
Feedback: Yes, especially praise, but including constructive   
criticism.   
Major Props to my beta reader, Elaine.  
  
  
I'm Fine  
  
"Sam?" Donna stuck her head in the doorway of Sam's office.  
  
"I'm fine, Donna," he said without looking up.  
  
She stepped inside and sat down. "Now that you've practiced your   
mind reading, let's start again. Sam?"  
  
Sam shook his head. "Hi, Donna. What can I do for you?"  
  
"How are you?" She grinned.  
  
"Like I said, I'm fine. I'm up off the dirt, off the bench, ready to   
play ball."  
  
"Sam, you're babbling."  
  
"Yes, I am." He gave her the patented 'Sam Seaborn' smile. She   
answered with one of her own.  
  
"And you're lying through your teeth."  
  
The smile faded. "Donna, I don't want to be rude, but . . . "  
  
"You want me to leave?"  
  
"Yes?" he said, hopefully.  
  
"Tough." She leaned back in the chair.  
  
"It's a wonder Josh hasn't fired you."  
  
"Twice today. I'm impervious."  
  
"You're also the person who makes him look good. He'd probably end   
up working at a drugstore if it wasn't for you."  
  
"True. And flattery and misdirection won't get you anywhere."  
  
It should have been easy. A few assurances that he was fine, a   
couple of quips to lighten the mood and, give or take a few concerned   
looks, everything would be back to normal. He was the master of   
subterfuge. Except with Donna. She wouldn't let him brush her   
aside. She just sat there, patiently.  
  
"Nobody yelled. I mean . . . Bruno . . . a little, but nobody   
else," he volunteered.  
  
"Maybe they figured you would be kicking yourself enough without   
their help."  
  
"Or maybe they just expected something like this from me. It was   
stupid, something an intern wouldn't have done, and I'm a Senior   
Staffer. So why didn't they yell? I would have. Instead, everyone   
is asking me if I'm all right. You even came back with a message from   
Harry Conroy." He looked at her accusingly.  
  
"You're upset because people aren't yelling?" Donna asked.  
  
"I just don't want people to look at this and say, 'Well, that's just   
Sam. What can you expect?'"  
  
Donna was silent for a minute. When she began to speak again, it was   
slowly, as if she was thinking of what to say at the same time. "I   
think everyone knows how stupid it is. And, no one thinks you're   
more likely to make dumb mistakes than anyone else. But it is like   
you." She held her hand up, to stop him from whatever protests or   
self-recriminations he was about to make. "It's like you to put your   
faith in people, because you measure them by what you would do. If   
the situations were reversed, you wouldn't have broken anyone's faith   
in you."  
  
Sam contemplated Donna's words. They sounded good. Oh sure, it   
still painted him as hopelessly naive, but there was the   
added 'You're a good man, Sam,' buried in there. But it wasn't   
exactly true, and he didn't want Donna to think more of him than he   
deserved. "That's not why. One of the reasons was when Bruno kept   
insisting that I put it away - I don't know. Something about Bruno   
makes me want to do the opposite of whatever he says."  
  
"Bruno is to you what Doug is to Toby."  
  
"But don't you think it was stupid and arrogant of me not to listen,   
just because Bruno rubs me the wrong way?"  
  
"Well, you're human and a man. It goes with the territory." She   
smiled to show she was teasing, and Sam managed to smile back. "You   
said that was one reason. What were the others?"  
  
"Oh, nothing important." But she still sat there, and gave him a   
look. Josh always said that Donna could say a lot with her   
eyes. "You're wasted here. You should be interrogating hardened   
criminals or something. 'Ve have vays to make you talk!'" She didn't   
move. He sighed. "I told everyone Kevin was a friend of mine, but I   
exaggerated our relationship. We knew each other from way back, even   
longer than I've known Josh. But we were never close. And I hadn't   
heard from him for over a year until he called. I almost didn't give   
him the tape, but he sounded so sincere and trustworthy. He probably   
rehearsed everything to get it perfect. But I wanted to believe him -  
I needed to believe him. Trust is one of the most important things   
you can give a person. That's what I always thought. Stupid, right?'  
  
"No! It isn't stupid to trust people. Maybe you are too trusting,   
but don't give up on people completely. That's why I like you."  
  
"It is? How much would you say you liked me?" he asked.  
  
"Don't get a big head or anything. I've seen you trip over your own   
feet and land on your butt. Numerous times."  
  
"It's all part of my charm." This time, the light-hearted comment   
came easily, without any manipulation on his part.  
  
"Yes, there's nothing more charming than a geek with a poor sense of   
balance. So, are you okay?" she asked again.  
  
He hesitated for a split second. "Not completely, but I will be." 


End file.
